Leonardo Santos Simao, the United Nations Secretary-General’s representative for West Africa and the Sahel region, emphasized that terrorism thrives in impoverished environments and that combating it necessitates the eradication of poverty first. He stated, “Poverty must be fought, and the efforts of nations must be unified to improve the living conditions of the population, thereby depriving terrorism of fertile ground.”
He pointed out that the scarcity of resources, including water, creates conflicts and drives people to take up arms, saying, “The lack of water and governments’ inability to provide their citizens with water lead to escalated conflicts in communities… Conflicts erupt between those who have water and those who do not.” Simao emphasized the ease of obtaining weapons in the Sahel region and that local communities are arming themselves to protect their water resources.
He also mentioned that poverty has been the cause behind numerous military coups in the region’s countries in recent years. The inhabitants of some countries are dissatisfied with their economic and social status, feeling that their governments are not doing enough to solve their problems, which leads to unrest.
Oxfam International highlights the severe inequality in West Africa, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic’s economic fallout, despite relatively low infection and death levels, has been significant, with a staggering loss in GDP and millions of citizens reporting lost income or work. Inequality has reached extreme levels in the region, with the wealthiest individuals significantly increasing their fortunes during the pandemic, while millions are pushed into poverty. This inequality and poverty contribute to social unrest and create conditions conducive to terrorism.
The World Bank’s Macro Poverty Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa provides a broader perspective, analyzing macroeconomic and poverty developments. It notes challenges for economic growth, macroeconomic stability, and poverty reduction. While specific figures for terrorism were not detailed, the link between economic instability, poverty, and the risk of social unrest, which can lead to terrorism, is implied in the broader economic analyses.
The African Development Bank Group projects economic growth in West Africa to pick up, which could have implications for poverty and terrorism. The report mentions the economic reforms in Nigeria aimed at addressing macroeconomic imbalances and the potential for these reforms to lay a foundation for long-term growth. Growth in other countries, like Niger and Senegal, is also anticipated due to hydrocarbon production and exports.
